Facing the daunting task of bringing along enough water to survive in the Thrashing Sands, our heroes met with Ishkar, waterlord of the only non-magical well in Gotullihein. A witch named Gumulgra, well known among the locals for her harmful exploits, had cursed his well, depriving him of product and the trade-post city of its largest volume commodity. In exchange for questing to her hideout to break the evil spell, Ishkar offered them a wondrous magical water tank, able to hold hundreds of gallons and dispense it either ice cold or scalding hot, with a bonus in cash for the witch’s severed head. Side-quest accepted!

Before leaving town, Partyocalypse sought more information from the town locals at a bar called Denial. There, they found three old men eager to discuss past exploits and take advantage of our heroes’ generosity. On and on they droned, talking about rumors of banditry in the nearby Leafless Ridge, the business opportunities for foragers in the Popper Forest, and even loony tales of the gods’ ancient feuds revolving around their pets. Veren sat in rapt attention, but the rest were near passing out with boredom, especially after the bartender failed to live up to her reputation for reckless gambling. At last they were able to tear Veren away, and begin the long trek northeast toward their bounty’s hideout.